western burials go muslim — i mean — green

an islamic burial
is a simple, prompt and respectful ritual:
the deceased in washed without revealing her/his private parts,
the body is shrouded in simple cloth,
the community — family or not — gather to offer a funeral prayer,
and finally they the body is buried in a simple grave
so that it is laying in its right side
and facing Mecca.

there is no casket,
no embalming,
no elaborate markers or flashy symbolic gestures,
no long, tear-amplifying eulogies and mournful music,
and it should be done as soon as possible after death.

but hark!

listen to this All Things Considered segment on NPR
Burials and Cemeteries Go Green by Cheryl Corley.
here’s a short excerpt:

“We bury enough embalming fluid to fill eight Olympic-size swimming pools, enough metal to build the Golden Gate Bridge, and so much reinforced concrete in burial vaults that we could build a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit,” Sehee said. [Joe Sehee is the executive director of the Green Burial Council]

It wasn’t until the Civil War — when bodies were transported from the battlefield to home — that current funeral practices became popular. So in many ways, green burials are simply a return to traditions of the past. And some religious groups adhere to those practices even today.

besides religious intentions
and the fact that the body is faced towards Mecca
there is little difference between
a green burial
and a muslim burial.

there is a short, but informative Q&A
accompanying the above NPR article
as well as on the web site of the Green Burial Council].

recommended by the GBC:

some additional information
on muslim burials can be found here:
Authentic Step by Step Illustrated Janazah Guide
compiled By Mohamed Ebrahim Siala